My Granny!

D. Marian Long

This post is going to be about my biggest role model! My Grandmother (Granny). The first thing you need to know is that Granny hated her middle name so she went to just using her middle name Marian. She grew up as a Navy brat, she was always moving around from one base to another base. Finally they got stationed on the Oregon Coast where Granny met my grandpa. And the rest is a basic tale of romance so I wont get into that. My Grandpa joined the military, and was sent off. When my mom (the oldest of three kids) was born my Grandpa was off in Japan. He got a telegram the day before telling him that my mom was born! A little of a year later my uncle was born, then two years after that my aunt was born. Between the three kids my grandparents have 4 grandchildren. Also they have 3 great grand kids from Me. (Sadly to say my granny didn't live to see them)

Anyways back to my granny, growing up my granny was different than other grandmothers out there. My granny hated noise and crowds and heat. So you didn't really get her out of the house very often. But when we were at her house we had enough fun to last a lifetime. At my Granny's house they have wood floors. So we used to put on roller skates and skate around the house! My Granny is the reason that I started writing, my granny was always writing and it rubbed off on me. And my granny also gave me one of my other passions, Drafting. She taught me at a young age to draw floor plans to houses. Now many years later I still love to sit down and draw out my dream house. My Granny was always thinking of fun things to do while we where at her house. But there is one memory that is going to stick with me forever. I was probably about 6 or 7 years old, and my granny made goup. (which is fudge that doesn't harden) when ever she made it I would beg her to let me have some. She would always tell me the same thing, "No its my medicine for my tummy" but as a little kid I wouldn't give up! So finally at the age of 6 or 7 I found something that would change the whole thing. I walked up to my granny and told her that my tummy hurt and I needed some of her tummy medicine! Of course my Granny couldn't go back on saying that it was for the tummy, so she went into the kitchen and made some goup! Lets just say to my amazement it was candy!!!! Talk about a kids wonderful day! I was sick and my granny gave me candy! It made me feel better! :) But that was my Granny for you. She was a fighter though. She was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and fought it and won. The doctors said that it was gone and wouldn't ever come back. We all jumped for joy, but in 1999 the cancer did come back, it spread quickly. This is hard to even type about, the last time I saw my Granny I was helping my grandpa taking her blood sugar level. (There is one thing that I forgot to tell you, my family isn't very fond of affection so this next part might not sound like that much of a deal to some of you, but it was for me) I was holding my granny's hand up so my grandfather could poke her finger. My granny was looking at me like she didn't know what was going on (at that time the cancer had spread to her brain so at times she didn't remember any of us) than as I was looking at her it was like something connected and a look of love and caring came across her face. She smiled at me and I knew at that moment that she was letting me know that everything was going to be okay. When we were done taking her blood pressure, I set her hand back on the bed. I bent down to kiss her forehead. And she spoke, as her voice came out she sounded like an angel, "Zana, I want you to know that I'll be okay when this is over. I want you to go on in your life to do the things that you love. I want you to know that I love you." I ran from the house, I couldn't deal with sitting back and watching my Granny die. That was the last time I saw her alive. I didn't even say good bye to her! The next day my granny was gone. And right before she died, she couldn't remember anyone that was there with her, but she was asking to see me! I was only a freshman in high school! And my granny was my best friend! there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about her! I know that she is smiling down on me and is so happy and proud of me! My first book "A Whirl in the Darkness" is dedicated to her! I love you Granny!

Dortha Marian Long

Born: Novemmber 14, 1928

Died: November 02, 1999